Current Affairs

Bravos de FC Juarez are now on the outside looking in with regards to the 2017 Clausura playoffs in the Ascenso MX league. After the results of the 4 matches that took place on Friday night to start matchday 15, the Bravos went from 8th place to 10 place. Simply put, the a tie will move them back to 8th place. A win can move them up as high as 6th place depending on the margin of victory. A defeat will leave FC Juarez out of the playoff zone with two matches to go.

On Friday morning, Bravos had a very light training session before heading to the team hotel as is customary approximately 24 hours prior to any match.

After the last training session prior to this Saturday’s match Atlante Bravos defenseman David Castro took a few moments to talk to the media. Castro is definitely aware of all the aspects of the situation that FC Juarez finds itself in. He commented, “We have to win and acquire 3 more points, we know how the general standings table is at the moment and there is no other option. I feel that we have lack a consistent intensity in our matches, especially in the closing minutes and that can’t happen this Saturday.”

With regards to the visiting side Castro commented, “Atlante is gonna come in here with their entire season on the line. Because of that its gonna be an intense, dynamic match where every possession of every loose ball will be vital. However, we will have to be diligently, remain calm and not lose our cool if things don’t develop according to our gameplan.”

The match versus Atlante will kickoff at 7pm at Benito Juarez Olympic Stadium.

Santos Laguna has always proved that you can do very much with very little and in their history of their existence they have parlayed that into becoming a soccer club that has become a staple in Mexico’s first division. Coming off of their 5th championship this past May, the Santos front office has taken the time to give back to their fan base both near and far. Which is a good thing, because there is Santos fans literally all over the world. Having been to soccer matches of different levels in numerous cities, I’ve learned that you will ALWAYS see at least one Santos Laguna jersey in the stands representing the team from northern Mexico, guaranteed.

Hopefully other soccer franchises in Mexico will take notice of this effort that is being made by the Santos front office and they themselves will undergo efforts to benefit their own fan bases.

The following announcement was made recently by the Santos front office:

“We made a big commitment to invest in market research that would enable us to communicate better with our community, with our fans, our region,” said president Alejandro Irarragorri. “(We want to) understand what they like and what they dislike, understand how we can continue in pursuit of excellence by generating much more for them in terms of what they give us every day with their dreams of our team. We value them greatly.”

Santos Laguna and Territorio Santos Modelo want to attract visitors, fans, and media from all areas of the world to give them a first-class experience in Mexican football. Through Travel Life, an in-house travel agency at Estadio TSM, visitors – fans, companies, media, and families – can receive preferred rates on hotels in Torreón. Full campus tours are available and staff put in place, ensuring all visitors leave with a better familiarity of Mexican sporting culture and a taste of the region.

Manuel Portilla, Santos Laguna Director of Marketing and Commercial, particularly feels Territorio Santos Modelo will bring a new and unforgettable experience for visiting fans and media who are looking to experience Mexican football in a secure and intimate environment.

“The feeling of security here (in Torreon) is better than before,” he said. “All of the local authorities and commerce industry are now talking about that: how safe it is here. There is a ton of new business, we have many new restaurants opening, a lot of nightclubs; the ambiance is a lot better. And in terms of the stadium, I think we have the most secure stadium in all of Liga MX.”

First-time visitors are going to live a whole new football experience here and inside this stadium. They are going to feel how Santos fans are, they will even be able to feel communication between players on the field. We will have someone to be with them every step of the way to give tours that will show everything you wouldn’t normally be able to see. We know that it’s a very important thing to walk away with the best experience like this when you’re in a first-class stadium,” says Portilla.

Aside from convenient ticket prices starting at 100 pesos for single games and packages at Territorio Santos Modelo, the club has added new features to enhance the ambiance of the stadium, including live entertainment sponsored by Corona, food trucks, different combo items at concessions with reduced prices, and additional staff and volunteers to attend to different groups and sections within the stadium. A special public transportation feature, “Ruta al Corona” has also been introduced, which will run before and after games, to and from nearby communities in Coahuila and as far away as beyond the border of the neighboring state of Durango

For its fans, Santos underwent a restructuring of its ticket packages and is introducing a dynamic pricing strategy, which now includes season ticket packages with added benefits including preferential tournament pricing, discounts on merchandise, and invitations to special events. The club also added a special incentive where by engaging season ticket holders in contests, select winners will receive bigger prizes, such as free season tickets for life.

The 29,237-seat stadium over five levels includes 112 suites, a top-level restaurant with views of the field and surrounding areas around the stadium, a Corona Club Bar, and Corona Lounge for during and after games open to all visitors, including media. The double-level press box can accommodate up to 170 journalists, and an auditorium with a capacity for 100 people sits attached to a large trophy display corridor. It has been host to hundreds of tournament games and events since its construction in 2009, including Mexico’s famous 3-2 victory over Germany in the 2011 U17 World Cup, sending them to the final where they beat Uruguay for their second title.

With “FC Juarez” being a provisional name given to the new soccer team that will represent the Borderland in the Ascenso MX soccer league the most obvious and constant questions with regards to the new franchise were the following: What will the team name be? What will be the mascot? Team colors? What will be the team’s athletic outfitter? Well tonight at 6:30 pm all of those questions will be answered. The front office for FC Juarez will have the official team presentation at the Children’s Museum in Cd. Juarez this evening. The entire roster the club will be introduced along with the team name, colors, and who will be the team’s athletic team supplier. However I believe I picked up a significant clue as to the last two factors yesterday via social media. Yesterday the team announced that the Colombian defender, Victor Andres Cordoba, finally made his way to the Borderland and underwent a team physical and had a solitary workout. Pictures of Cordoba were uploaded to the team’s Facebook page of his physical activity. Cordoba was wearing a jersey that was red, black and white and was of the Umbro brand. Presumably this workout gear was provided by the team.

El Paso native, Omar Salgado was selected by the Vancouver Whitecaps (an new MLS expansion team) as the overall number one draft pick in this year's MLS Superdraft. The 6-foot-2 Salgado, age 17, will lead the offensive attack for the Whitecaps this upcoming season. Salgado has a resume that connects him with some of the best soccer clubs on both sides of the Atlantic (Guadalajara, Everton, D.C. United) and has played for both the U.S. and Mexico national soccer teams. Much more to come on Salgado in the near future without a doubt. Stay tuned.